How Will a New Administration and Congress Support Innovation In An Economic Crisis?

A
briefing sponsored by the Economic Policy Institute, Information
Technology and Innovation Foundation, Breakthrough Institute,
University of California Washington Center, and Ford Foundation

Monday, December 1, 2008 – Washington D.C.

How
much will a new administration and Congress invest in efforts to
unleash broader technological innovation in the United States? Does the
economic crisis pose greater opportunities for investing in policies to
spur technological innovation? What areas of federal innovation
investment should be strengthened to help the U.S. rebuild its economy
while still fostering advances in computers, nanotechnology,
biotechnology, health, renewable energy, and other new industries? What
institutional changes are needed to make innovation policy more
effective?

Join business, technology, congressional, and academic
leaders from around the country to answer these and other questions at
a Washington D.C. briefing sponsored by the Economic Policy Institute,
the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, the Breakthrough
Institute, and University of California Washington Center and the Ford
Foundation.

The day-long meeting will launch with release of a new report by Fred Block and Matthew Keller
from the University of California, Davis that examines the role of the
federal government in promoting innovations, the extent to which
weaknesses in the U.S. system has affected deployment and
implementation of new technologies, and what steps a new administration
should take to ensure that the federal government plays a supportive
and important role in innovation to foster global leadership. David Douglas of Sun Microsystems will join Victor Hwang of T2 Capital and Nicole Biggart,
Dean of the Graduate School of Management at UC Davis, to react to the
report and offer their perspectives on what pressing challenges face an
incoming administration for expanding innovation capacity to help put
people back to work, build new industries, and strengthen U.S.
competitiveness.

The day-long conference will also focus on
innovations to promote energy independence and sustainability, and the
political and economic obstacles facing creation of a world-class
innovation system in the United States.

Event Details:

When: Monday, December 1, 2008 9:30 – 5:00 p.m.

Where: University of California, Washington Center

Washington, D.C.

Agenda Highlights and Scheduled Speakers:

9:30 a.m. – Noon - Rebuilding the U.S. Innovation System

Nicole Biggart, Dean, Graduate School of Business, University of California, Davis

Fred Block, Professor, Department of Sociology, University of California, Davis